Actions speak louder than words. If in fact Bush thought the threat was not "imminent", then an attack was not necessary. Urging an immediate attack says very directly that the threat is, all of a sudden, imminent. So does the "mushroom cloud" image, along with graphic descriptions of torture.
The alternative would be that the attack was not for the purpose of preventing imminent threat, but gratuitous, or a change in policy of advancing a threat far in advance of a future threat. Or, as the argument has changed in its emphasis, to save the poor Iraqis, or for the purpose of stabilizing the Middle East, or preventing payment to families of terrorists. None of these would have been accepted by the public, so the "mushroom cloud" quote from Bush was clearly used to stampede people and their spineless representatives.
Its a common trick to show pictures of one meaning, along with milder text with technically different meaning. This implication is what has been calculated to push policy, rather than any sober evaluation of the facts. Such policy discussion was cynically postponed until after commitment of troops, when funding wouldn't be denied, regardless of reason.
Listen to other parts of one such cynical speech:
cnn.com
"Tonight I want to take a few minutes to discuss a grave threat to peace ..."
"Knowing these realities, America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. "
"...we have an urgent duty to prevent the worst from occurring."
Etc. etc. It's clearly urging a stampede, carefully phrased to look like a most imminent threat, regardless of weasel words that can be later quoted out of context to look more sober. They wanted military action immediately, and not careful inspections to take place over the course of the next couple of years.
I guess what galls me the most is the lack of transparency, the ability of the controlling party to cut off meaningful debate and ignore calls for accountability, even in the expenditures so far, much less the entire $200 billion. These are all waived away with "reports" due later without effective oversight. |
